Old House Museum | |
Address | 31 Diakonia Street, Durban |
Telephone | 031 311 2261 |
Visiting Hours | Mon - Sat 8h30 - 16h00 Sundays and Public Holidays 11h00 - 16h00 Closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday |
About |
The site of the Old House Museum was donated to the city by George Churton Collins, built by the Durban Town Council and opened on the 12 June 1954. The museum features a recreation of one of Durban's most prominent families, the Robinsons. Sir John Robinson was Natal's first Prime Minister, and also owned the Natal Mercury, Durban's daily morning news paper. The displays document the lifestyle of the upper middle class settlers, the city's first elite. Pieces on display include antique furniture, clocks and china, with life size mannequins of the family dressed in the fashion of the day. Original oil paintings with views of nineteenth century Durban stretching to the harbour adorn the walls, and a unique autographed cloth embroided with the names of many of the provinces great political personalities is a noteworthy exhibit. The park-like grounds feature a post-cart (c. 1998) used to smuggle Natal's former Prime Minister E Escombe from Dundee to Greytown during the South African War, and an ox wagon from the Normandien Farm in the Newcastle area. |